Author's Note: Yes, I know that people outside of Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Stillwater have never heard of the Orange Peel, but let's just pretend, okay? (smiles) Bet I piqued your interest huh? (You: (shake your head 'no')) Awwww…

Also, I decided to post, but only because Shalaren asked me oh so nicely. (smiles nervously)

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't own

Warnings: Nothing at the moment

Pairings: Getting there…

The Cousin

Scroll Six


"Hey mom! Souta! Ji-chan! Jenni and I are back! We're going to my room, then to school" Kagome called out as she emerged from the small hut that housed the Bone Eater's Well, Jenni directly behind her.

"Oh Kagome, You have a math test today, don't you" Kagome's mom asked the Japanese girl, walking out into the side yard where her daughter and niece were talking. "I'll write both you and Jenni a note to the school, so don't worry. I also cleaned both of your uniforms, and they're lying on your bed, Kagome. I'll go ahead and make you your lunches. They will be waiting on the kitchen counter for you both. Hurry now, or you'll be late for your second class." Thanking her, the two girls ran to the bedroom and quickly changed, brushing their teeth and pulling their hair back into low ponytails. They then ran into the kitchen and grabbed the two lunches sitting on the spot-free counter. Running out the side kitchen door, they opened the car doors and jumped inside the automobile as Mrs. Higurashi started the car and drove them to their school.

Since Jenni was new, the office had put classes either with her cousin or near her. The two shared the same English class, along with History.

"Well, I'll see ya at lunch Kagome! I have to go conquer the evil known as Math" Jenni called over her shoulder as she alternated between the papers in her hands to the small numbers located above each of the doors in the school. Smiling at this, Kagome gave her blonde cousin a two fingered wave as she walked to her own Math class, the hell class, Geometry.

"Ugh…

'Draw a large right triangle, a large acute triangle, and a large obtuse triangle. Circumscribe a circle about each of the three triangles you drew…'" Kagome read to herself softly, tracing and drawing the correct angles and circles, hoping that all the information that she had crammed inside her head on the way to school with her mom and Jenni was correct. She continued to trudge her way through in the same manner until she finally got to the final question.

'Done! I don't think that I got all that many correct, maybe half, but I took the test and that is all that matters!' Kagome thought to herself somewhat proudly (for actually taking the test, not getting only half correct) as she stretched her back and arms, popping several kinks out from her knuckles before turning in her test to her teacher.

After the horrible test came lunch, during which Kagome introduced Jenni to her three friends. Blinking in surprise, the girl with the short hair looked from Jenni to Kagome and said"How ironic! I have a shadow also! She's from another school, and her parents decided to transfer her here for this year! And guess what Kagome? Her family also lives at a temple, just like you do! Everyone, this is Sarah! She transferred here from the Blue Star Academy, but she was born on the border of America and Mexico! She's fluent in Spanish! She helped me with my homework"

"Nice to meet you Sarah." Jenni said as she pulled up a chair and sat next to the brunette with frizzy hair and piercing green eyes. "Born in Texas or Mexico"

"Texas. Where were you born, if you don't mind my asking? Sounds like you have an accent just like I do…" Sarah asked the blonde, cocking her head as she made her observation. Nodding, Jenni informed her"I was born in Boston." Smiling, Jenni said"Say, did you ever go to the Orange Peel…" And with that, the two American girls left the four Japanese girls to do as they wished.

As it turned out, Sarah was also in the tenth grade, just like Jenni (Kagome and her friends are all freshmen). They also had the same Drama class fifth period. Throwing away their trash, they left for their next class, promising to continue their talk once they got into class.

After school, Sarah and Jenni headed over to Jenni and Kagome's house to get some stuff for their drama class assignment, to create a monologue from a hat. Kagome was abducted by her friends and forced to go to a café with Hojo… the girl couldn't really say that it was a date, since her friends were only several booths away from the couple, making sure that she wouldn't leave early or botch up the date… All of this unknown to Hojo…

"So, Kagome" Hojo started after their drinks had been given to them"How did the West Nile test go? Are you feeling any better? Would any herbal remedies help at all"

'Ji-chan, are there even cases of West Nile in Japan?' Kagome thought frantically as she laughed demurely and answered"Much better now, thank you. But… I think that I'm gonna flunk Geometry. I so failed my last test…"

"But, because you are sick all the time, it must be hard to study… Oh, I know! I could help you study, and you might do better! How about tomorrow at four" However, whatever else Hojo had been about to say was cut off as Jenni rushed to their booth and grabbed her cousin's arm, tugging the girl to her feet.

"So sorry! I'm Jenni, Kagome's cousin! I'm afraid that we are having a small family emergency. Kagome will get back to you on you next get together as soon as she can! Goodbye" Jenni said in a quick breath, giving a small bow before dragging the stunned Kagome out from the café and down the street. Finally regaining her thoughts, Kagome cried out"Wait! Family emergency! What has happened? Did Ji-chan hurt himself? Or did Sota get hurt at a soccer game? No! Did mom get in a car wreck? What happened"

Just looking at her, Jenni commanded her"Shut up for a moment…" Smiling at the crowd, Jenni seemed to mentally tell all the people staring 'Don't worry about us, just having a friendly little conversation. Now, leave us alone and get back to your own business.' Almost as if they understood the smile, the group of people looking at them quickly turned their gazes elsewhere, no longer focused on the raven haired girl who had yelled at the honey-blonde haired girl. Placing her hand on Kagome's elbow, Jenni stated under her breath"Just keep walking… Now turn right."

They were both standing in an old alley way, toppled trashcans littering the ground, while mice and rats scurried and scavenged around and through the trash, while a cat swished its tail and preyed on said mice and rats.

"Ew, it stinks back here Jenni! Why did you bring me here" Kagome asked as she pinched her nose, wondering how she could handle a rotting carcass of demon but not modern day trash. 'Just sensitive, I guess…' she thought before a familiarly gruff voice cut through her thoughts.

"And you humans don't even have strong noses. Think of how I feel." the voice commented.

"Inuyasha! What are you doing here" Kagome asked the hanyou when he jumped off the dumpster on which he had been sitting.

"I'm asking myself that question. Why were you with that wimpy looking guy" the half-demon asked the miko in training, his ears twitching to catch sounds, or, perhaps, in irritation?

"Oh, you mean Hojo? My 'friends' forced me to go to the café with him. But, more important, why are you here? I thought that you were hurt."

"There's a demon near the village. A strong one. I suspect that it has several Jewel Shards. It has been destroying several of the surrounding villages, and I hear it has even fought off a few of the strongest demons there in that area. If we don't defeat it, Naraku will get the Jewel Shards. So, what are you waiting for? Come on"

"Translation: Please come help me." Jenni mumbled to herself and Kagome. Covering her mouth with her hand, Kagome hid her smile from the hanyou, whose left ear was now twitching in Jenni's direction. "What…" he asked murderously of the girl.

"Uh… well…" Jenni stammered as she sweatdropped and stepped behind Kagome for protection. The other girl just rolled her eyes and sighed at her cousin's antics.

"Inuyasha…" said a new voice in the conversation, a voice that had been showing up randomly more and more frequently.

"Jenni! I'm sorry! He wouldn't listen to me except that he shouldn't walk where everyone would see him" Sarah explained as she made her comical entrance. The brunette was hanging off the back of Sesshomaru's robes, trying (in vain) to get him to slow down, or, even better, to stop. All it seemed to be achieving, however, was an annoyed Inu-youkai lord, his patience wearing thin.

"Girl, for the last time, stop pulling on my clothes." the silver-haired demon told the girl, giving her his infamous icy stare. With an 'eep!', Sarah jumped away from the demon lord and hid behind the closest person, who so happened to be Inuyasha himself. Her eyes flicked from his clawed hands, then to his head…

"Puppy" she shrieked as she promptly began rubbing the small furry triangles atop the hanyou's head.

"Sarah…" Jenni said with a sweatdrop while Inuyasha growled out to the girl"Let go of the ears…"

"Oh…" Sarah said dejectedly, lowering her hands and looking ashamed for a moment before smiling at everyone once more. Sweatdropping, Inuyasha decided to change the subject, and jerked a thumb in the direction of his elder half-brother"What is he doing here" He had directed his question to Jenni, thinking that the young girl would know what was going on since she was the first person other than himself and Kagome to pass through the well. Looking from his younger brother to Jenni, said man in question stood there patiently, waiting for the answer himself.

"Uhm… Kagome… That's the crisis. The well is now open to all demons… and people…" the blonde girl explained, placing her hands behind her back and wringing her hands nervously.

"Huh? How" Kagome asked. "How could the well be broken?"

"I don't know… it didn't come with an instruction manual, did it" Jenni asked, her voice layered in sarcasm that was aimed at no one in particular.

"No… Sarah, did you by chance talk to Ji-chan about it" Kagome asked the girl, assuming that she had been to the temple already, since she had apparently tried to stop Sesshomaru. Unless there was another well that they didn't know about… but, that would be for another day to ponder. They had their big problem at the moment.

"Yeah, actually I did! And, he said that he tried to do a spell on it the other day…" Sarah explained, her voice trailing off, as if that would explain it all. Sighing, Jenni prompted"Do you know what the spell was"

"Uhm… Oh yeah" Sarah said triumphantly, proud of her ability to remember this small tidbit of information. "'To seal out all demons', is what he told me."

"Well, it looks like that backfired…" Sesshomaru stated rather dryly to no one in particular.

"Big time." Jenni commented, nodding her head in agreement.

"JI-CHAN" Kagome yelled aloud, her voice echoing slightly in the small alleyway.


Well, that's it for now. (smiles) Stay tuned! You never know when I might post!